| If you haven't thought of Baby Boomers in regard to | | | | needs in planning your website design. |
| website design, you're not on top of things. | | | | That brings us to what this all has to do with website |
| The first of the Baby Boomer group are turning 60 | | | | design. Bifocals! Reading glasses! Many people at or |
| and they are retiring. Why should you care? For | | | | soon after 40 find that reading is not as easy as it |
| starters, Baby Boomers are the largest segment of | | | | used to be. Even many who have always had good |
| our population. That would be a lot of people to ignore. | | | | vision and never before needed glasses find that |
| And their needs and desires are going to differ from | | | | reading can be difficult. Anyone designing a website |
| those of the, up to now, very young computer users. | | | | should know that reading online is harder than just |
| The first of the Baby Boomer group came to | | | | reading a book. Whether you do your own website |
| computers late. Although they might not have warmed | | | | design, or have a professional design your website, |
| to the idea of a computer driven world if left alone, a | | | | keep this in mind. Making your website an easy read is |
| huge segment of this population has been forced into | | | | important for all your visitors. It is especially important |
| the computer world by their employers. Having gained | | | | as Baby Boomers become such a large part of your |
| some comfort with computers in the workplace, Baby | | | | potential market. |
| Boomers have become much more likely to make | | | | The Baby Boomer phenomenon is just at it's beginning. |
| computers a staple item in their homes. | | | | The Baby Boomer segment of the population will span |
| Although I am aware of the dry statistics about Baby | | | | most of the next twenty years. The last of the Baby |
| Boomers, much of what I am saying about Baby | | | | Boomer group will be 42 this year. |
| Boomers is from first hand observation. | | | | Consider the size of your fonts when designing your |
| I live near Palm Springs. The population in this area on | | | | websites. Contrast is another important factor. I see |
| a year round basis is an older population than that of | | | | many websites that not only have tiny fonts, but they |
| most locals across the country. Many retirees have | | | | are often in muted shades even a twenty year old |
| made this their full time home because of the climate. | | | | would find a challenge. |
| And, every fall and winter our population balloons when | | | | Many elements of website design are important, when |
| many retirees flow to our community in RV's for the | | | | you consider the needs and the tastes of the group |
| season. Plus another large group who maintain winter | | | | you are marketing to. Audio with no surfer control, |
| homes here. | | | | flash, colors that are hard on the eyes, small fonts, lack |
| Why am I telling you all of this? Because maybe I | | | | of contrast between font color and background could |
| know some things you may not have thought about. | | | | all be a turn off. |
| You see, I know, from first hand observation that | | | | Considering the following five factors could be |
| these retirees, many of them Baby Boomers, bring lap | | | | important to the degree of success you have in your |
| top computers in those RV's. And many who have | | | | online business over the next few years. |
| Winter homes here, have them equipped with desktop | | | | 1. Baby Boomers are surfing. |
| computers. I also know, that these Baby Boomers are | | | | 2. Baby Boomers like to spend money. |
| not just sending email and jokes. They are surfing! | | | | 3. Baby Boomers have money. |
| Baby Boomers are not sitting by the window watching | | | | 4. Baby Boomers will have time in the coming years to |
| the neighbors go by. These people are busy. They | | | | surf and shop. |
| love to shop, they love to travel, they have money. | | | | 5. Baby Boomers as the years go by will be from the |
| Baby Boomers are going to spend some of their time | | | | younger segment of this population and will have had |
| online shopping and if you want your share of that | | | | more time and experience using computers and the |
| market, you'd better be ready to meet their wants and | | | | internet. |